Board games of all different types cover the walls of Omni Board Game Parlor in Euclid. There’s “Star Wars X-Wing”, “Discover: Lands Unknown” and “Jungle Joust,” and some games go as far as to have catchy sayings on brightly colored backgrounds like “Life’s a Pitch- The wild game of defending the ridiculous.” Other boxes look as if they were designed to be hidden rather than seen, giving faint hints of what players could possibly awake if they take the top off the box. The small storefront located at 21950 Lakeshore Blvd. serves as a sort of portal to the imagination. There are hundreds of games to choose from along with figurines, rule books, monster field guides and carefully planned maps so people can create intricate Dungeons and Dragons campaigns all for rent for $7. According to owner Jason Gardner, he started the business in 2019 because he got tired of his job as a security guard and wanted to change things up, even going so far as buying some furniture to start his new business from a building he was patrolling. He said that during COVID he continued to work both jobs and things got even harder when he lost his security job, leaving him with lots of time to think about the future. “I was at a pivotal moment of continuing this dream of having the board game shop open, it was a very difficult decision,” Gardner said. “I had a good friend who knew how to make a website, who I met online playing a MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) … who said that he could help make the website. “My mom is kinda like ‘well, whatever you decide I respect it I really think that you could get it going’ so I have a good support system between friends and family and came up with the great idea of doing some rental stuff.” Jason Gardner, left, and Denisha Allen teach their young friend how to play a game. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) “But we were closed, we were closed for a few months and that allowed me to sit and reflect,” Gardner added. “And then in my personal life, I was dealing with losing my job, COVID had shut one of our sites down working security, so everything was kind of happening at once and I was like, ‘this is too much,’ was very stressed out. But I powered through it. Took each one day at a time and looked at the progression of what we’ve done so far, and a lot of self-reflection and people in my ear.” He said that after noticing people going to nearby places for food, or bringing in snacks, he decided to start selling finger foods like mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, and other small easy to prepare items with sandwiches in the summer with a limited menu in the winter. “I took note of what they were ordering and thought that I could do that,” Gardner said. “I started it on a small scale but didn’t want to do a full restaurant but wanted to include something… I love playing games, explaining and introducing people into games, I really didn’t want the whole business centered around the restaurant aspect.” People sit in Omni Board Game Parlor in Euclid. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.)   He also runs different gaming sessions each day with some days tailored toward Magic the Gathering card games, with other days devoted to Dungeons and Dragons “one-shots” which are short story campaigns that only last a few hours compared to the typical campaign which could span over the course of years if players kept the game going. Games line one of the ways of Omni Board Game Parlor. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) “The word ‘Omni’ itself means ‘all’ and I want everyone to feel comfortable in this space and feel like they can meet up with people and play games or can meet up with people that have common interests…,” Gardner said. “…As far as the greater public, I want them to welcome the space and (see) that this isn’t just for nerds or for just for a niche interest group of people. That you could find a little bit of what you are interested in… “That you might find a new game that you fall in love with as an adult and that becomes your new game that you can create in and experience with new people. So, I really want the community to understand that this place is for everybody…” A game of Magic the Gathering can be seen. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) One Magic the Gathering player, Brian Crook, said that he started coming a few years ago, and kept coming not just for the community but to also support a local business that is not as common as it once was. “It’s called Magic the Gathering right, so it’s kind of a community thing and you have to have people to play with and you have to have a public place to play,” Crook said. “It’s really nice that we have something, in this area and locally, that we can do that at. “There is a saying for a magic player that you have to support your local gaming shop, and this is our local shop.” Sheldon Young said he moved to the area a few years ago and found the shop by scrolling through online reviews. Now, playing games at the shop has become a routine part of his life. Sheldon Young, left, Brian Crook, and other players start a game of Magic the Gathering. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) “I came here a couple years ago and was just looking for somewhere to hang out with everyone,” Young said. “I saw this shop was here and everyone was enjoying themselves. I first started playing Dungeons and Dragons, but now I’m here up to three days a week.” Gardner said one example of getting people to try new things is with the game of Spades. He said some people might want to come in and play the game, but he wants to suggest games that are similar to it. “If you like Spades, I have 10 games from board games to card games that are similar to that, that are high stakes and interesting, rolling dice and counting numbers, just to get you to be interested in other things,” Gardner said. “The goal is to really introduce you to new stuff that you may not be comfortable with or have known about. “That’s kind of the mission statement, that’s what we want — something different that allows you to come back and experience something else new and different, create an experience here and memories, that’s really what I want it to be not just a (place to) go play Spades at.” The inside of Omni Board Game Parlor, 21950 Lakeshore Blvd, can be seen from the outside. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) He said that in his over 40 years of growing up and living in Euclid he thinks the city gets a worse reputation than what is actually experienced if people took time to get to know the city. He said that there are many small businesses and organizations that are hidden in the many strip malls and corner stores and hopes that people make their way to his small oasis. “I want people to know that the city isn’t as bad as they may think it is because everybody has a bad part of it,” Gardner added. “Everybody is dealing with violence right now, and if you walk the streets of the city a little bit you might come across some hidden jewels in the city and meet some people that are genuinely not bad people.” Omni Board Game Parlor is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 5 to 10 p.m. and Saturdays from 5 to 11 p.m. Gardner is holding a “Cosmic New Years Bash” on Dec. 3. People can bring food and celebrate the new year with trivia and a “one night werewolf Pictionary.” Tickets are $20 online or $30 at the door and $5 will be taken off if food is brought to the event.